Judge says new congressional maps won't take effect until after this year's elections

Friday, August 22, 5:03 PM EDT

From The News Service of Florida

Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis on Friday upheld the Legislature’s second draft of boundaries for Florida’s 27 congressional districts, but said the new map will not take effect until after this year’s elections.

Lewis said the November vote would go forward under the first version of the map, which he ruled last month violated the state Constitution’s ban on political gerrymandering.

In his decision, Lewis said lawmakers put too many African-American voters in District 5, represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, in an apparent effort to channel those Democratic-leaning voters away from surrounding districts.

The judge also found fault with an appendage of white voters added onto Congressional District 10, now represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster; Lewis said the voters were placed in Webster’s district to try to help the incumbent hold onto his seat.